When did they start putting dampers in chimneys?

[Robert Green]

== Getting stuck you say?...has no one ever warned Santa Claus of this danger? ==

The only ending to the story that could be worse would be if no one noticed the ooze and started a fire in the fireplace.

Reminds me of a story my cop buddy told me about a man who had hanged himself in a tool shed - and no one noticed until the smell began to waft through the neighborhood. All that was left was a dessicated hanging bag of bones with a big, black greasy spot under it and a smell that could knock you down. The shed was tight enough to keep out the larger critters, but the insects had no trouble at all getting in. Worse, still, this happened at about the same time the movie "The Human Stain" was released, leading to an inordinate amount of very black humor in the squadroom. I can only imagine what that house would have smelled like if the doctor had been in the chimney for that long. I wonder if you can ever get that horrible smell out?

If an anorexic lady doctor can't fit, in what chimney are Santa's remains to be found?

-- Bobby G.

[Kurt Ullman]

Don't know. I know from lots of personal experience, that it almost never comes out of clothes and it is hard to get it out of your hair. ABout the only thing I don't miss about fire service is the annual pulling the week old floater from the river festival (grin). The saddest was the guy who committed suicide in his 6-month old Corvette in August and wasn't found for over a week. (OH, the HUMANITY!).

[John Gilmer]

fireplace isn't being used?

In the "bad old days" (and even before that) the fireplace was used 24/7 in the "heating season."

The dampers are only needed when fireplaces are more of a decorative accessory than a source of heat.

Today, unless you have essentially FREE wood, a fireplace just doesn't make much sense.

If you have one, the odds are that you really will not be using it much so you want a damper.

If you use LPG for your "fireplace," you may be better off with a "ventless" fireplace. Your would semi-permanently block off the fireplace flue.

[Jim Elbrecht]

You're picturing a cabin with a single fireplace. Our old place had at least 7 [I said 6 before- but remembered the one that had been removed- and suspect the kitchen had one, too.]

The big main fireplace that was taken out long before I was alive probably was burning 24/7 -- and the kitchen fireplace, if there was one, probably burned year round. But the drawing room, dining room, and all the bedroom fireplaces that were still there were dampered & likely the servants fired them up as needed.

We agree here-- if you want heat, a fireplace is a loser- even if your wood is free. Put in an insert- add a stove. [and for my money, I'd only do that if the wood was free. I went to propane many years ago & have always been glad I did. Even since propane became more expensive than wood.

That what I replaced my wood stove with. No mess, no work, more control. And for 6-8 years it was cheaper than buying wood, too.

Only caveat is 'read up on sizing it for your space'. A too large ventless will create CO risks.

Jim

[Robert Green]

The only worse outcome I can think of is if the guy lit a fire with her wedged in the chimney and he died from carbon monoxide poisoning. A modern day "Romeo and Juliet" love story.

-- Bobby G.

[John Gilmer]

In theory, YES.

I would recommend that anyone burning fuel for heat should have a CO detector or two.

Get the type that shows "peak" exposure.

I have lived in "mixed fuel" places for over 20 years. The only time the CO detector registered non-zero was from my cooking stuff from my ELECTRIC stove.

Center gas heat, gas water heater, or "ventless" gas heating never got the CO detector off from ZERO!

[John Gilmer]

Well, modern SOP for anyone with a "flame" appliance (stove, furnace, insert, ventless heater) is to also have a battery operated, digital readout, CO detector.

But most/all ventless units have an "Oxygen depletion sensor" which cuts off the heat when the O2 level falls below something like 16%.

Since the ventless units work with grossly excess air, operation on the "edge" of O2 depletion isn't going to produce any detectable CO.

BTW: The "exygen depletion sensor" is simply a clever relationship between the pilot light and the thermopyle that operates the gas valve. When the O2 levels fall, the flame shifts away from the thermopyle and the gas is shut off.

If one grossly "supersizes" a ventless unit but the unit has a thermostat it's unlikely to get to the point where the O2 level starts to fall.

There are two potential problems with the ventless units:

1) (as your mentioned) if you have a "tight" house, it actually might make a dent in the house interior O2 level. If the "safety systems" fail, that can cause a CO problem. 2) Some folks are sensitive to the combustion products (including "burnt dust") from these ventless units.